Hypothyroidism is more common than previously recognized -as many as
13 million Americans have undiag-
nosed hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid),
according to a report issued by the American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists (AACE) (www.aace.com/pub/tam2003/press.php).

The thyroid
is a gland located in the neck, just below the Adam's apple. It produces
hormones that play a
crucial role in the body's metabolism. Hypothyroidism
can result in a wide array of symptoms, including fatigue,
depression,
cold hands and feet, dry skin, fluid retention, hair loss, menstrual irregularities,
infertility, and
elevated serum cholesterol. If left untreated, hypothyroidism
can increase the risk of developing heart disease.

I believe
that many cases of the disease are still missed. My experience is that blood
tests are not always
sensitive enough to identify hypothyroidism. In
some cases, the combination of symptoms, physical-examination
findings, and
subnormal body temperature may be sufficient to consider initiating a careful
trial of therapy.

Symptoms and conditions that improved included chronic
fatigue, depression, infertility, menstrual irregularities,
hair loss,
joint pains, water retention, and intolerance to cold weather. If this describes
you contact Dr Wolf for
more information or call for an appointment
at 011-675-3699

What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does
not use it properly. Insulin, a
hormone made by the pancreas, helps the
body use glucose for energy. Glucose is a form of sugar that is the
body's
main source of energy.

The body's digestive system breaks food down
into glucose, which then travels in the bloodstream to cells
throughout
the body. Glucose in the blood is called blood glucose, also known as blood
sugar. As the blood
glucose level rises after a meal, the pancreas releases
insulin to help cells take in and use the glucose.

When people are
insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly
to insulin. As a result,
their bodies need more insulin to help glucose
enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased
demand for
insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the
body's need for insulin.
Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting
the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance
have high
levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.

Insulin
resistance increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes
and heart disease. Learning about insulin
resistance is the first step
toward making lifestyle changes that can help prevent diabetes and other health
problems
Integrative Treatment

Successful treatment of insulin resistance involves an integrative approach
including acupuncture, herbal medi-
cine, homoeopathy, diet and nutrition,
exercise, stress management and life style changes. Many studies have
been
conducted in China on metabolic syndromes including syndrome X and diabetes.
The integrative model as
described above yielded the best results
compared with drug-only treatments.

Acupuncture, for example, has been
clinically proven to lower blood glucose level and blood pressure. Experi-
ments
on animals suggest that acupuncture affects glucose metabolism by influencing
the hippocampus of the
brain.

Medicinal herbs such as
astragalus, Chinese wild yam and hawthorn berry can yield excellent effects on
lowering cholesterol, reduce mucus and plaque and modulating insulin metabolism.
One large-scale study in
1992 consisting of 10,618 cases in China
on a particular herbal preparation in the treatment of metabolic
syndrome
or diabetes resulted in 17% complete remission rate and an overall 77% improvement
rate.

Exercise such as aerobics and Tai Chi, for example, are
effective for reducing insulin resistance. Regular exer-
cise daily allows
the muscles cells to take up the excess glucose in the blood stream. Effective
stress manage-
ment through meditation and other techniques can reduce
stress hormones that causes further imbalance in
glucose metabolism.

Stress is a common word used these days to describe any kind of sensation
that is caused by excess stimu-
lation. Stress is an invaluable reaction
in our bodies but if extended can harm the body. When you are stressed
your
cortisol levels elevate. As stress decreases levels come down but in today's
world a lot of people are
stressed all the time. During this process
the body produces more free radicals which damage neurons and
decreases
your ability to think and remember things. Also when your adrenals constantly push
out more and
more cortisol, you don't feel well. You begin to crave coffee
and sugar as a source of energy but this makes it
worse. The longer
this process continues the easier it is to get to a point where your adrenals
become fatigued
and symptoms begin to develop.

Addiction and substance abuse are social problems that have penetrated
all levels of society. Whether you just
can't get going in the morning
without coffee or you are suffering from a serious heroin habit, acupuncture can
help you overcome your addictions. Acupuncture and homoeopathic medications
for alcohol and drug addiction
treatment can curb cravings and ease
withdrawal symptoms to help you naturally detox from substance abuse.

Auricular Ear Acupuncture treatments can help with various types of addiction: